Parkview Warsaw YMCA celebrated the grand opening of its new facility Monday. The new 72,000-square-foot facility opened to the community Monday at 1305 Mariners Drive. Since 1964, the Y was at 1401 E. Smith St. and was 40,000 square feet. Baker Youth Club purchased the Smith Street facility and moved in Friday. The YMCA took possession of the new facility Nov. 1, according to Chad Zaucha, Kosciusko Community YMCA CEO. Total project cost was $16 million. Construction began in August 2013 and was completed in November. Weigand Construction was the contractor. Major donors included Parkview Health, Dekko Foundation, Biomet, DePuy, Zimmer and The Dr. Dane and Mary Louise Miller Foundation. K21 Health Foundation was the lead donor. Zaucha thanked the donors and said without their united effort the Y would not be standing where it is today. “Over the 50 years the YMCA was on Smith Street, an expansion happened as community needs changed and it reached the point where the YMCA became land locked and it could not add anymore than what is existing there now,” Zaucha said. “I hope we are able to impact more people in the community through youth development programs, healthy living and social responsibility.” The Y’s mission statement is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all. “We need to be aware that this is a community facility and we want to make sure everyone has an opportunity to participate,” Zaucha said. There are 309 parking spaces at the new location, compared to 157 spaces at the Smith Street location. The new facility has a security gate where members scan their membership tags, a chapel, a pool viewing lounge, lockers and two pools, including a six-lane lap pool, warm water therapy and instructional pool and sauna. There also is a multi-generational room open for all visitors to use that has recreational games and tables to play cards. There is a staffed child watch room for those 6 weeks old to 6 years old to use while their parents are working out, and a multi-generational room for ages 5 to 12. There is a multi-purpose room that can accommodate 60 people that can be rented out for meetings, birthday parties and events for a fee that has an overhead projector with sound. There also is an outdoor playground. The multi-purpose room has a kitchen. An outdoor walking trail also is available to the community. There is a 8,500-square-foot exercise equipment area located on the lower level, more than double of equipment than at the Smith Street location. There also is a walking track above the workout equipment with nine laps equaling a mile. There is cardio, weight and circuit training equipment; four group fitness rooms and a double gymnasium with 12 basketball hoops; changing rooms for men, women and families; and showers and restrooms. Stacy Thomas, YMCA director of healthy living, said there are 22 treadmills, eight elliptical machines, eight ascent trainers, three spin bikes, a motion trainer bike, three arc trainers, two crank cycles and recumbent bikes and weight equipment. There also is an Internet cafe and lobby space with a donor wall and coffee bar. There also is a corridor for staff offices. Parkview Health also leases 1,500 square feet of space from the YMCA for an examination room and lactation office and multi-purpose space where experts can come and do programs on health topics for members. Sandy Hatcher and Angie Oler, both of Warsaw, worked out on treadmills Monday afternoon. They said they both were members at the former Y and love the new Y. “This new Y is laid out well and is very functional and the staff is awesome,” Hatcher said. Oler is the fitness center monitor, and said the new Y is an asset. “The new equipment is wonderful and there is more variety,” Oler said. Dan Leininger, Kosciusko Community YMCA board member, said the new Y is fabulous. “It will be great for the community with the brand new and larger facility and much better parking because we were having problems at the former Y accommodating everyone who wanted to come to the Y,” Leininger said. This week and next week is a winter sampler program where members can try out programs for free. Hours at the Y are Mondays through Thursdays, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fridays from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sundays from 1 to 6 p.m. Membership costs are $62 per household per month; one-parent family household, $45 per month; senior family household, $45 per month; two adult household, $53 per month; adult ages 26 to 59, $40 per month; seniors ages 60 and older, $30; young adults ages 19 to 25, $30; and those 18 and under, $20. There also is a $75 joiners fee, except young adults have a $40 joiners fee and youth, a $25 joiners fee. For more information, call 574-269-9622 or visit www.kcymca.org
